ARVADA, Colo. — The city of Arvada and the Red Rocks Community College Arvada (RRCC) campus announced on May 18 that they are currently making collaborative plans to bring a new “healthy park” to their community. The new park will be located on 1-acre of land on a 9-acre property shared by the RRCC campus and the city of Arvada.

One of the main goals for the park is to provide unique outdoor fitness opportunities. The vision of the park overall is to bring a new approach to healthy living to the surrounding community, by promoting participation in both traditional and non-traditional outdoor fitness activities. Additionally, the city wants to offer a peaceful place within an otherwise dense neighborhood where community members can enjoy a diversity of spaces for “deep contemplation” with a mix of active zones for physical challenge and renewal. Another goal is simply to have an aesthetically pleasing park to add to the enrichment of the Arvada community and surrounding neighborhood.

Sarah Washburn, senior landscape architect for the Arvada Park and Urban Design Division is looking at possible park improvements with the design team that may include an enhanced park entry, a “challenge zone” with a fitness staircase, a “therapy zone” with a reflexology path, a “vitality zone” with a pavilion for yoga, as well as Qi gong and other mind-body activities. Additionally, there is discussion underway about walkways, flexible seating, a water station, landscaping, art and sensory installations, adaptive recreation elements and a demonstration garden. The budget for the park project is currently set at $1.5 million, and is not yet fully funded.

“Through summer we are going to be gathering input from the public and focus groups,” said Washburn in a recent statement. “The focus groups will consist of potential park users and students and faculty from RRCC. We’ll come back at the end of summer with concept designs.”

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